Sunday, 24 June 2012

The humid sub-tropical climate and rich biodiversity in Hong Kong provides an ideal environment for insects. The abundant food resources have enabled not only the butterflies and moths but also their caterpillars to produce large sized species. This pretty giant caterpillar is the Larva of the Death's-head Hawkmoth.

It is about 10cm long and as thick as a human finger.

Its jaws (Mandibles) are sharp and strong too. This giant can even bite if threatened.

The Larva of Black-veined Burnet Moth may be small by comparison but makes up for it with pretty colours.

The patterns on the Common Mime swallowtail butterfly Larva look very artistic to me.

These bright colours may stand out in the feeding environment but to their predators they are warning signs of “poisonous and stay away”. This hairy caterpillar (Larva of Staff Sergeant butterfly) has a well camouflaged colour and still manages to look beautiful.

The defense system of this Common Mormon swallowtail butterfly Larva is not only unique but also looks cute.

In addition to the big eyespots, it has two pretty “horns” (Osmeterium), which only come out when threatened (by my camera in this case), and also produces smelly chemicals to repel predators.

Sunday, 17 June 2012

The Swallowtail butterflies are famous for their wing tails but very few can rival the tail length of this White Dragontail.

Evidently, the White Dragontail does not have the typical characteristics of a swallowtail butterfly (i.e large and colourful). In fact, it is the smallest swallowtail in the world with a wingspan of around 4cm.

The colours of the White Dragontail may be dull, but its flight pattern is exceptional----agile and erratic like a dragonfly. It is rare in Hong Kong and can only be found in a small number of locations.

Another distinctive feature of this butterfly is that the middle part of its forewings is transparent. This is unique in the swallowtail family.

In contrast, the Common Birdwing is not only among the largest (wingspan upto 16cm) but also the brightest coloured butterflies of the world.

Unlike the White Dragontail, the Common Birdwing does not have wing tails at all but has angular wings similar to the shape of bird wings.

Unfortunately, their size and beautiful colours make the Birdwings very popular with butterfly collectors. In Hong Kong, they are the only butterflies listed as a conservation concern. The butterflies and the food plant of their larvae (Indian Birthwort) are protected by law. Regarding the rarity of butterflies, I think not many can beat this Common Mormon.

Looking carefully, you will find that this butterfly seems to be born with just one wing tail while the other one somehow didn’t develop.

I have seen tailless polymorphisms before but this butterfly is extraordinary.